Tourist Information Guide

La Sagrada Familia Basilica by Antonio Gaudí

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La Sagrada Familia is one of Gaudí's most famous works in Barcelona. It's a giant Basilica that has been under construction since 1882 (that's not a typing error!) and it's not expected to be completed for some time yet.

Picture of Sagrada Familia - a giant Basilica in Barcelona by Antoni Gaudí.

Much controversy surrounds the building of the Sagrada Familia. Today new construction materials are being used which, some feel, Gaudí himself would not have used.

Video showing the highlights of La Sagrada Familia

When you visit the building you will see the contrast in the stone colour between the front and back of the building. Also the actual style of construction appears somewhat different between the new and old parts of the building.

Side view of the Basilica.

Gaudí played an active role in directing the construction of the Sagrada Familia until his death in 1926. He would often request that work be modified and adjusted until it was exactly what he had in mind. However today, because of the nature of the existing designs, his work is partly open to interpretation.

Interpretation of the ordinal designs by present day architects is particularly challenging because the actual construction stones are irregularly shaped.

The building is still under construction so be prepared to see a lot of work continuing when you visit. However this in itself is interesting, especially if you visit the museum inside the building.

Regardless of all the controversy surrounding the Sagrada Familia it is a truly magnificent building and an absolute must-see when you visit Barcelona.

Location of La Sagrada Familia to the nearest metro stop. Click for a magnified view of this map

The Sagrada Familia is not only famous for being Barcelona's no.1 tourist attraction it's also famous for its entrance queues. Up to 2 hours or more is not uncommon. Bear in mind you could be queuing for hours in the hot Spanish sun making this a particularly unpleasant experience. Make sure to bring plenty of water and sunscreen. For those who would rather not queue we have put together a page that explains how you can avoid the queues at the Sagrada Familia.

How to beat the entrance queues at the Sagrada Familia

Photo showing people patiently queuing at the entrance to the Sagrada Familia. This queue goes on all the way around the building extending several hundred meters long.

In addition to the problem of long entrance queues if the Sagrada Familia reaches capacity it will not permit more visitors to enter for safety reasons. This means that even after standing in a long queue for hours you could be further delayed while the Basilica empties to a safe number of visitors. To avoid both of these issues we've put together a page on how to avoid the queues at the Sagrada Familia and be guaranteed access.

We also give recommendations on what to bring if you decide you want to brave the queues.